Heinz-Joachim Draeger

This illustrated book is an ambitious attempt to explain the complex multi-cities/nations trading relationships in the Baltics known as the Hanseatic League, or Hanse. This collective recognized each other as trading partners and defined rules and policies within the league while creating a support structure and influencing local laws. Although the book described the beginning of the league through the end of the league, it is organized by topics and themes which resulted an inevitable time-hopping. It is a bit odd to read a later-year on one page, followed by previous-years in the next page on a different topic. The topics are vast, and somewhat random, possibly to maintain the interest of a 10-year old. Government, cities, nobility, buildings, ships, churches, difficult journeys, professions, trade merchants, and many more, this Europe/Germany-made children’s book is vast and more liberal with its explicitness than what I see in the U.S. It earns bonus points for including the Black Death (skeleton wearing a cap riding on a giant rat trembling over bloodied bodies) and execution of pirates (chopped off heads on the ground, skulls nailed on wooden stacks for display).

My recent trip gave me visibility to several cities that had belonged to the Hanse, including the Hanse epicenter – Lubeck, Germany, home of the Hanse Museum. This book was made in partnership with this museum. Addressing the complexity of the Hanse and the historic footprint it left, the book closes with this:
“Today the definition of Hanse stands for quality, reliability, tradition, international awareness and many other positive characteristics. The interminable list of beneficiaries stretches from the airline ‘Lufthansa’ to the band-aid ‘Hansaplast’ to the football club ‘Hansa Rostock’ to the trade fair ‘Hanseboat’.
The German Empire referred to the Hanse in its aggressive fleet policy towards England, as did the Socialist movement in its reckless striving for power. In the 20th century experts on the Hanse in the East and West interpret the definition differently. Yet the essence of the historic Hanse consistently eludes conclusive definition.”… (mer)